Finalists in Software: Design, Modeling, Analysis in Consulting-Specifying Engineer's 2011 Product of the Year competition

Design Master HVAC 6.3 is an integrated HVAC calculation and drafting program that runs in AutoCAD. It assists mechanical engineers during the entire design process, from calculating the HVAC building load, to sizing ductwork, to calculating the pressure drop in the system, to modeling the ductwork in 3-D. The software features the ability to export HVAC models to IFC files for 3D-BIM collision detection. The IFC file can be imported into other BIM programs where it can be checked against models from other disciplines for collisions. This allows engineers to use AutoCAD while participating in projects that require 3D-BIM.

ESA’s EasyPower V9.0 integrates complete “document set” drawings with the system one-line drawing and analytics. This allows users to easily create and print complete electrical document sets. Document sets can be transferred to any CAD program for integration with the complete MEP document set. The program includes automated features like design and equipment selection to NEC codes, selection of series-coordinated breakers, and validation of ANSI and IEC standards on a design or existing facility. The program provides engineering rationale behind calculations with automatically generated reports that verify compliance and list all design parameters, protection settings, and personal protective equipment requirements.

Schneider Electric’s Remote Energy Management, a web-hosted remote energy monitoring service, acts as an energy information portal for building or energy managers. The software integrates with a building’s energy meters, linking them through an Internet gateway to allow for constant monitoring of energy usage statistics. The service can help facility managers make informed decisions based on their actual energy use to estimate actual cost of energy usage and verify the accuracy of energy bill. The “What If” analysis feature determines cost savings if load adjustments are made, and it can compare historical data to show trends over months or years.